Soldiers competing for advancement to sergeant and staff sergeant can earn promotion points by serving in positions that lead to the award of the new Army Instructor Badges.

The badges, which the Army will start issuing in late spring in Basic, Senior and Master designs, recognize the professionalism of active and reserve soldiers who serve as instructors in the Noncommissioned Officer Education System.

While NCOES instructors typically are senior NCOs, the new promotion-points policy is an incentive for more junior soldiers to broaden their military skills and experience by pulling platform duty in such venues as the Warrior Leader Course.

Eligibility for the award of the instructor badges is based on an instructor’s time in the classroom and the completion of certain training and professional certification events.

For example, award of the Basic Instructor Badge requires that soldiers complete 80 hours of service as a primary instructor, while meeting the instructor evaluation and certification requirements in Training and Doctrine Command Regulations 600-21 (NCOES Development and Recognition Program) and 350-70 (Army Learning Policy and Systems).

Requirements for the award of the Senior and Master badges have more rigorous experience and training requirements and will be awarded based on demonstrated performance over time.

While technically possible, TRADOC officials do not believe many soldiers will move through the tiered requirements for the three badges during a single 36-month tour.

Because instructor duty is considered a career-enhancing assignment, officials expect that many soldiers who serve as instructors as junior NCOs will want to come back for a subsequent tour or tours later in their career when they reach the senior NCO ranks.

Promotable specialists, corporals and sergeants who earn instructor badges will be awarded points for entry on their Promotion Point Worksheet as follows:

■ Basic Army Instructor Badge: 15 points

■ Senior Army Instructor Badge: 15 points

■ Master Army Instructor Badge: 20 points

Promotion points are not cumulative for the instructor badges, according to policy guidance issued by the Human Resources Command in early March.

For example, a soldier who earns the Master Instructor Badge will earn a total of 20 points, not 50.